“He’s very frustrated because he needs to make money,” Pederneiras told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “So many sponsors here in Brazil are not sponsoring him because he’s not the real champion from the UFC. He’s the interim champion. He’s losing money every day. The sponsors here want a real champion. A linear champion.”

But UFC President Dana White, speaking to a small group of reporters earlier this week in Brazil, said that’s simply not the case.

“He’s losing money because they’re not doing a good enough job promoting him,” White said in Rio de Janeiro after a news conference for December’s UFC 168. “That’s why they’re losing big money. They’re losing money because he isn’t out there trying get sponsors hard enough. (Barao’s) out there beating all the guys. I love Andre Pederneiras – we go way back. But Andre Pederneiras, some of the things he says are a little out there and a little crazy. It’s not because he’s the interim champion that he’s not getting sponsors.”

White said Barao (31-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC), who at UFC 165 this past month beat Eddie Wineland for his second defense of the temporary title, may just need a little more time to catch on with fans, and that, in turn, may lead to an uptick in sponsors.

There’s precedent there, White said.

“It has nothing to do with him being the interim champion,” White said. “Some guys are just harder to promote. Look at Chuck Liddell. It took Chuck Liddell a long time before he broke through, and look at what a huge star he became. Sometimes it just takes time. Renan Barao doesn’t have the most explosive, dynamic personality.”

But there’s also precedent, White said, for someone not needing a lot of time to catch on with the fans.

In the case of featherweight Conor McGregor, he became a fan favorite immediately after his first UFC win. He won his second fight, but is on the shelf with a knee injury. Still, even while hurt, McGregor’s kept himself in the spotlight thanks to a big social media presence.

“If you look at a guy like Conor McGregor, the guy’s had two fights in the UFC and everyone around the world knows who he is,” White said. “He’s got this thing about him, this persona. Renan Barao might not have that explosive, dynamic personality, but that dude is amazing when he steps in the octagon. He’s an incredible athlete, and now he fights to finish. He hasn’t lost in over eight years. Renan Barao will get his due some day.”

Barao is expected to meet Cruz sometime in early 2014 to unify the titles. If Cruz isn’t ready to return, he may be stripped of the belt, which would make Barao the champion.

White also said it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility for Barao to get his next title fight in his home country of Brazil, though there is no official time table for just when Cruz might be back or when he’ll fight Barao.

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

The man known for cranking submissions to the point of injury added eye-gouging to his repertoire. But is the controversy of Rousimar Palhares too essential to his bizarre, awful appeal for his employers to take any meaningful action against him?